Wings of Wax
by EdElricFan1001
Summary: Basically, I've been writing too many one-shots in my spare time and this is where they now go. NOW PLAYING: EQUIVALENT EXCHANGE: Edward reflects on what this really means and how he never really understans the concept. Caution! Deep and angsty!
1. Promises Kept and Broken

**Disclaimer: I don't own FMA, only this story.**

**Promises Kept and Broken**

Edward sighed as he felt the gentle release of death as he was pulled toward The Gate. He went willingly, not shying away like he knew he should. It was over. He had finally fulfilled his promise to Al. He had, hopefully, given him back his body. But not only that, he had given him back his life.

Ed opened his eyes when he felt himself fall in front of The Gate. He stood up slowly and looked at the double doors.

"Elric. You never do seem to learn, do you?" Ed smiled ruefully as The Gate mocked him.

"Apparently not. But this is my last time. I'm here to offer myself in exchange for Alphonse." There was a stony silence that followed as The Gate deliberated his offer.

"What if you're not enough?" Edward bit his lip at this statement. What if he wasn't enough? What else did he have to give The Gate in exchange for his little brother? He had nothing. The Homunculi had been destroyed, save Wrath and Gluttony. Neither of which he could destroy now that he was already here.

"I… I don't know. I have nothing else to give you." As he bowed his head, The Gate chuckled. Ed lifted his head and gave it the best Death Glare he could muster. "What is so funny, pray tell?"

"Nothing that concerns you for now. I've just thought of an adequate payment. I will send you're brother back to your world. Body and soul intact. In exchange for you and a few other things." Ed blinked.

"What other things?"

"As I said before, it is nothing that concerns you right now. Do you agree to the deal laid out?"

"You're not going to tell me everything that I have to trade for Al?" Ed asked, suspicious of The Gate's true motive.

"That would be the deal breaker. You can take it or leave it where it is. I, however, do not have all eternity to wait for you to decide, so please hurry it up. I do have other things to do, you know." Ed glared again, and started chewing his tongue. Did he agree? He had to. Al needed this chance. But what was going to be exchanged? What else would have to be taken from him? Shaking the questions from his head, Ed sighed.

"I accept your conditions. Just no funny business, and no messing with Al's body. I want him completely whole. He deserves that." Surprisingly to him, he heard an affirmative from The Gate.

"He has had a difficult life. I shall give him back what he lost and give him another chance at life. The deal is sealed then."

With that, The Gate creaked open and Edward surrendered himself to the creatures that crawled from the inside of the doors and grabbed him. He made no struggle, but willingly walked into the depths of The Gate.

"_I love you Al. Take care of yourself." _Edward thought, as he heard, rather than saw, The Gate close behind him. Darkness enveloped him and he closed his eyes. Finally giving up.

* * *

Alphonse Elric jolted into an upright position. He looked slowly around, having no idea where he was. There was a building that was in rubble all around him.

Where was he?

Where was Ed?

Alphonse shivered and rubbed his bare arms as he slowly stood up, wobbling slightly. He felt something tickling his back and grabbed the offensive item.

It was hair.

When had his hair gotten long enough to reach almost all the way down his back? Al shook his head in confusion and tried to remember what had just happened. His eyes popped open again as he felt warm tears start to leak down his face.

Mom.

He and Edward had tried to revive her and he had been sucked into The Gate. But how did he end up here?

"Edward?!" Al jumped when he heard someone yell his brother's name. The voice was female, and one he didn't recognize. Although, something pulled at his subconscious. He should remember this voice…

"Edward?"

"Ed? Where are you?"

Two male voices had joined the female. He started to shakily make his way toward them. If these people were friends of his brother maybe they could help him. Maybe they could help him find Ed. Ed would be able to fill him in on everything. Ed would fix this.

As he emerged from the rubble, he saw the woman who must have been calling his name ahead of him. She was searching through some rocks that had piled up in front of her. She stiffened when she heard someone scrambling out of the rubble behind her, and then turned around quickly.

Al watched her face as it went through as series of emotions. The first was surprise, then pain, a look of pity filled her eyes, and then her face changed to show almost no emotion.

"Are you Alphonse?" She asked in a broken voice. One that was filled with tears. Al nodded.

"Who are you?" He asked in a slightly croaking voice. She slowly moved closer to him until she was right in front of him.

"My name is Rose. I was a friend of your brother. And I was your friend too." Rose answered after a pause.

"Edward? Where is he?" Al asked with a look of joy filling his face. Rose's face dropped, and Al felt his smile drop a little. "Rose? You said you were brother's friend… where is he?" A tear slipped from Rose's eye and she pulled Alphonse into a hug.

"I'm so sorry Al. He sacrificed himself to bring you back after you died. I thought that he might have found some way to escape but… I seems that he wasn't able to. I'm so sorry." Al felt his blood freeze in his veins. He pulled back from Rose with a slightly terrified look of denial plain on his features.

"No. He can't have done that. He's just hiding. He'll be back. It's a joke. Brother would never… he wouldn't…" But Rose was shaking her head; tears streaming freely down her round face.

"No. He's gone Al. I'm so sorry, but he's gone." She had become a bit hysterical as she watched Alphonse's expression. By this point, Russell and Fletcher had caught up to Rose and were watching the scene quietly. Russell holding Fletcher as he sniffled and cried at the news of Ed's death; they had never thought it possible. Ed had seemed invincible. He could never be…

"Dead? My brother is dead?" Alphonse asked quietly, long bangs covering his eyes. Rose nodded slowly. Al sniffed and fell to his knees. He beat his fists on the ground once and let out a wail before dissolving into a fit of tears and convulsions. Rose dropped down in front of him and pulled him into a warm embrace as they sobbed together.

Some hours later, Al had finally fallen into an uneasy sleep. His face and eyes red and his cheeks streaked with the trails his tears had left. Russell had ventured over and paid a hand on Rose's shoulder before removing her hands from Al and slowly picking up his malnourished and bony body. He offered a hand to Rose, which she took, and, without a glance behind them, the small group left the underground city and back into the world of the living. Slowly making their way through the dark and silent streets to the military headquarters to inform Ed's military friends and to find Alphonse a bed and a friend.

* * *

Riza Hawkeye sat nervously outside of the Military infirmary as she waited to hear about Mustang's condition. He had almost died… if he did… Riza shivered just thinking about it. He would not die. He was the Flame Alchemist after all.

As she tried to get her mind off of her commanding officer, she heard the hurried click of boots head her way. She looked up to see one of the enlisted men run up the hallway and stop in front of her. He snapped a salute.

"Lieutenant Hawkeye, permission to speak?" Riza nodded and the soldier dropped his salute and looked down at her. "There is a group at the front desk. They claim that they know General Mustang and say that they have information concerning the well being of the Fullmetal Alchemist. Should I send them away?"

Riza stood from the chair where she was sitting.

"What do these people look like?"

"Well, there are three men and a young woman. One of the boys looks sick. The woman said to tell you that her name was Rose and that she had some important information about the Fullmetal and that they had his brother with them, and that they needed to see General Mustang as quickly as they could. Since he is incapacitated at the moment, I came to find you."

"Bring them here." The soldier saluted again and made his way back to the front desk. Riza watched him leave and sat back down. The door of infirmary opened and the nurse walked out.

"The General is waking up. Would you like to see him?" Riza nodded and slowly walked into the room and over to the white bed where her superior lay.

He was covered with crisp, clean white bandages, and his right eye was covered with a medical patch. She could see the white gauze peeking out from under it. She stood over him as his left eye fluttered open and he looked up at her.

"Well?" His voice was raspy and soft; almost a hushed whisper. Riza smiled gently down at him.

"You succeeded." He let out a sigh of relief and cringed when he felt his ribs tingle. She reached out and grabbed his hand, allowing him to squeeze hers gently. Their moment was interrupted by a loud knock on the door.

Riza sighed and walked over and opened the door. She dismissed the soldier and looked at the group in front of her. All four faces were tear stained. And the tallest of the group was holding a small form in his arms… a form with sandy colored hair…

Riza's eyes popped as she looked at the face of the boy. She had seen his face before in the pictures Al had shown her of the two Elrics in their youth. This was the face of Alphonse Elric.

She quickly pulled them all into the room and shut the door firmly behind her. She turned to look back at her Commanding Officer.

Roy's one eye was open in surprise. He struggled to sit up to get a better look at Al's face.

"Is that…" He trailed off looking at Rose, who nodded.

"It's Al." Riza tore herself away from looking at Al's human face to look at Rose.

"If this is Alphonse… where is Edward? Why isn't he here?" She knew the answer, but had refused to accept it. Hoping that she was wrong. Hoping that he was on his way.

The youngest boy sniffed and wiped an eye. Mustang slowly dropped himself back onto his pillow, denial clear on his features.

"Fullmetal… he can't be…" Rose nodded solemnly.

"He sacrificed himself to bring Al back from The Gate when Al gave up his life to bring Ed back after Envy killed him. He said to tell everyone goodbye and that he was sorry that he didn't get to tell you goodbye in person. He also said to tell a Colonel Mustang that he needed him to keep an eye on Al and wanted to say thanks for everything that you did for him." Rose relayed as silent tears slipped down her cheeks again.

Riza stood by the door as she felt warm tears make their way down her face. Edward… How could he have left them? It seemed impossible for him to be gone. For his fiery presence not to be hear. Not see his triumphant smile at the thought that he had finally kept his promise to Al. She looked over at Roy who had his face screwed up in pain and his good hand pressed up against his face. His only eye watery.

"_Edward… We'll miss you."_

* * *

Edward clenched his teeth as sharp pain tore through his body. He thought death was supposed to be easy… painless… a relief. It was supposed to be the end of everything… mind… body… spirit. So, why was he still thinking somewhat coherently? Why could he feel the excruciating pain that flared throughout his body but was centered at his right shoulder and left thigh?

Why could he feel cold drops of rain? Why could he hear an engine?

And what was this squishy stuff he was laying on?

Ed cracked his eyes open. To his utter astonishment, he was looking up at a rain-darkened sky. And he was lying in a puddle of mud and water.

Where was he?

Another wave of pain washed over him and he grunted and closed his eyes, his back arching involuntarily. He turned his head to his right side and re-opened his eyes.

His right arm was gone… again.

His face screwing up in pain again, he heard the motor growing closer and saw the flash of headlights from behind his eyelids. He heard the screech of the water-coated brakes and the opening of a door. He cautiously opened his eyes as a man stepped over him and bent down.

"Edward?"

He recognized that voice.

Before he could respond, pain tore through him, lighting his nerves on fire and causing him to go dizzy with pain. He felt his father's warm, calloused hand take his own and he waited silently until the fit was over.

Edward re-opened his eyes, panting softly and sweating slightly. His father knelt over him with a worried look on his face before shedding his jacket and pulling out a pocketknife. He promptly cut the jacket before lying one half down out of the mud and moving closer to Edward's left leg, or what was left of it.

"This will hurt a little." Hohenheim warned as he lifted Edward's leg into his lap and on to of the coat gently. Edward saw stars and clenched his teeth tightly, fighting back a groan of agony. Hohenheim quickly tied the jacket firmly around Edward's leg. Effectively stifling the blood flow.

Setting the leg back down, Hohenheim moved across Edward and grabbed the other half of the coat. He lifted up Edward's right shoulder and winced sympathetically as Edward whimpered and shuddered with pain. Hohenheim slipped the coat under him and laid Edward's covered shoulder on his lap before tying the coat tightly.

"Edward?"

Ed opened his eyes and looked up at his father.

"I'm going to move you to the car and take you home. I've got the things necessary to fix your arm and leg. This will hurt, alright?" Ed groaned and nodded, pinching his golden eyes shut tight.

Hohenheim slipped his hands under Ed's shoulders and knees before gently lifting him up and walking carefully so as not to jog his cringing son. He opened the back door of his car and gently laid Edward on the seat before climbing into the drivers seat. He closed his door and slowly made his way to his house careful to avoid the bumps in the road.

Edward dazedly fell into the warm embrace of unconsciousness as his father stopped the car in front of his house.

* * *

Edward woke feeling warm and dry. He clenched his eyes shut as a wave of pain and memories washed over him. Al… The Gate… his father…

Ed slowly opened his eyes and looked around the room. The walls were blue and the floor was a dark wood color, but none of this mattered to him now. The only thing he saw was the man sitting next to him, holding his only hand and smiling sadly at him.

"…Dad?" Hohenheim nodded to his eldest son who was looking at him in disbelief. "Where…"

"The other side. I'm not quite sure why you're here though."

"For Al." Ed answered simply. His father seemed to understand. Ed closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. He knew now what The Gate had taken from him. He was okay with that. As long as he knew Al was finally safe.

"Edward?" Ed cracked open one eye and looked at his father. "I've been working on an automail prototype. Whenever you've healed enough, you can try it if you want to." Ed nodded tiredly from the bed. "We have much to talk about. But that can wait. Go to sleep, I'll be here when you wake up."

For the first time in a long while, Edward was happy to have his father by his side. As he slowly slipped into the dark abyss of dreams one thought can to mind.

"_I was finally able to keep my promise Al. Take care of yourself."_

* * *

**A/N: I'm not quite sure what hit me here, I just was suddenly inspired to write this story and I've been typing it for the last two hours. I really shouldn't be writing something new when I have so much I need to update, but this one really hit me and I just had to get it down before I lost it.**

**Well, just drop a review and tell me what you thought if you want to. This is only a oneshot and I'm not ever going to continue it. It basically begins in the last episode and is what I thought would happen when Ed sacrificed himself to save Al and everyone's thoughts about it. And then what would happen later when Ed ended up on the other side of The Gate.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**EdElricFan1001**


	2. Familiar

**Disclaimer: Do not own!!!**

**SPOLIER FOR MOVIE!!!!!**

**Wings of Wax**

**Familiar**

In the downtown section of Berlin, there was an out of the way, closet sized bar. Every night the same patrons gathered there. Rain or shine, they showed up. They always sat at the same place. Always came and left at the same time every night. Every now and then someone new would show up, but they never stayed.

Every night, usually around seven, a particular man, well boy really, he couldn't have been older than eighteen, would show up. He always sat on the third to last bar stool at the bar, closest to the door. He always ordered the same thing, scotch on the rocks. He always twirled the cup around, until the ice had melted, before swallowing it down in a gulp around ten twenty-five. He paid at ten twenty-seven and left at ten thirty.

He had an odd limp in his left leg. It was like it was too heavy for him to carry around. He moved always with an awkward gracefulness, almost like the leg wasn't his. On the colder, rainier nights, he would rub where his thigh connected with his knee. Almost as if the bone itself was aching. When they were exceptionally bored, the other patrons would sometimes wonder what had happened to one so young that could handicap his leg like such.

He never spoke. The bartender knew his order and had it ready for him when he walked through the door. He often sat and stared at his right hand. Flexing it slowly, relaxing it, and then curling it into a tight fist. He would sometimes grip tighter than normal and his back would tense before he finally relaxed and uncurled his hand. That right hand never gripped nor picked anything up.

He stared at the same journal every night. He brought it in, set it in front of himself and stared at it while twirling his scotch. He never opened it. He reached for it once, ran his fingers across it on two occasions, but never picked it up until he had paid and was leaving the bar for the night.

He sometimes also had a peculiar habit of pulling out an old silver pocket watch from his pocket and opening and closing it repeatedly. Staring at the front and then opening it and looking at a series of scratches on the inside cover. Sometimes he would set the watch on the top of the journal and stare at them both, conflict in his eyes, a frown, seemingly, eternally etched onto his face.

His height was also noted by everyone. He only reached about five foot one, barely reaching the bottoms of the chins of some men. He did not seem to notice too much, his presence still filled the room fully and completely.

His long hair was always pulled back into a ponytail, the perfect shade of Aryan blonde. But his eyes… they were something that none had seen before. Golden, sharp, cat-like and always narrowed, always filled with sadness, with anger, with distrust. Some believed that his eyes were some chemical experiment gone wrong.

Despite all of these abnormalities, the bar had grown used to Edward. He had become part of the night, like a picture on the wall. Never acknowledged, but always noticed.

It happened one night in late October. He never showed. He was gone for a full three weeks. It caused some confusion, but the patrons ignored it mostly, people would always come and go. Why mention it? Why question it?

At the very end of the third week he walked back through the door, limping less than before if at all, and took his same seat, picking up the drink the bartender sat in front of him with his right hand and gulping it down, signaling for more. He pulled out the old journal and a pencil, opened it, and started writing. He wrote until ten thirty before closing the journal, it's once blank pages now filled with mathematical equations, travelogues, and drawings, and placing it in his pocket. He paid and left with a smirk on his face.

He wasn't ever seen again by the bar. Rumors were spread that the Nazis had captured him near the beginning of the war for meddling. They say that he escaped and was now on the run. But they never were really sure. And they never spoke about the short brunette that would occasionally visit, order a scotch and leave. They could be mistaken, but the dull golden/brown eyes sure looked familiar.

* * *

**A/N: So this is basically a one-shot about Ed and his life before Al comes back from across the Gate. I figured that even Edward would need a drink now and then, he hides his feelings well and I thought this would be a good place for him to show them.**

**Thanks for reading, please review!!**

**EdElricFan1001**


	3. Equivalent Exchange

**Disclaimer: Do not own!**

**MINOR SPOILER WARNING FOR EPISODE 3 AND EPISODES 50-51!**

**Wings of Wax**

**Equivalent Exchange**

Equivalent Exchange. Two simple words to describe such a complex law. You can not gain without sacrifice. There is nothing to create without equal exchange.

Something to complicated for me to grasp.

I knew the laws. I knew everything about them. For hours I could talk about them. But I could not comprehend their meaning as is apparent. It all came so easy to me… like breathing. I could transmute in my sleep if I wanted to, calculate the input and output of the transmutation in a second. No one could best me. I was a prodigy!

But I was too full of myself.

I thought we could do it. I honestly thought we could surpass the laws, spit in God's face and proudly display our longest finger**(1)**.

But we were wrong, so very wrong.

We had assembled all the ingredients, spent months on the formula, set up the perfect time. It was textbook up to that point. We each gave a drop of blood; out exchange for her soul. Our mother's soul!

I still have nightmares from that day.

I was taken before the gate of truth. Surrounded by white light. The truth was inside… everything I could possibly want or look for was inside… the secret to bringing mom back was inside… Al was inside.

I needed back in that gate.

I beat the doors. Surely the gate would open again for me, to share with me the rest of the knowledge I needed. The real secret to human transmutation…

But that's where my wing's of wax melted.

It demanded payment. Payment for what it had shown me. I didn't understand. What could I possibly have that the gate would want? What could I possibly offer do for it? What could I pay it?

I found out really fast.

The pain was nauseating. My stomach never stopped turning. I could feel myself growing faint… my vision tunneling with the loss of blood. But I was the big brother. I had to check on Al. He mattered more than anything else. I looked up.

He was gone.

But the terror of losing my only brother… the last of my family… was temporally drowned out by the ghost of hope. Then horror.

That wasn't our mother.

I knew then the mistake that I had made. I also knew how to fix my gravest of errors. I was the only one who could rectify this situation.

I had to.

I knocked over the old suit of armor in the corner, removing the head and then dipping my fingers in the blood that flowed freely from my leg. I drew the symbol on the inside of the armor… on my arms… my forehead… my heart. Screaming, I activated the circles…

And bought him back to me… I'm so selfish.

By this point in the process, I was so high off the endorphins**(2)** that my body was releasing to dull the pain in what was left of my right arm and left leg that I was half crazed. I was giggling ruefully at the mess I had made, tears pooling in my eyes. I felt Al pick me up. I spoke to him… but I can't remember what I said.

All became a blur.

I can remember, vaguely, in the back of my mind the cool drops of rain on my face. Al had hurriedly bandaged my arm and leg (I could feel the dizzying pressure from the wraps) and was actually trying to save me.

He should have let me die for what I did.

I recall Winry… and Aunt Pinako. The cool sting of the sedative as it would it's way through my bloodstream, effectively knocking me out.

I survived.

The next few months meant nothing. I had no fight left in me after what I had caused. I had given up ever being normal again. Given up on life. Given up on Alchemy. Given up on Al.

I became a shell.

But, through it all, Al never gave up on me. He even tried to encourage me. He tried to force me to fight… to live… to not give up on myself.

But soon, he too, started to break.

For months I sat in that empty state of awareness. Never talking. Never thinking. A ghost of my former self.

Until_ he_ came.

He changed my perspective. Put the fight back in me, the spark in my eye. Gave me the hope that one day I would be able to return what I had taken from Al. He forced me to actually think.

And I did.

Years I spent looking for that cursed stone with Al. Years of traveling, hoping, laughing, crying, pain, fighting, worrying, and loving.

And I set things right.

I'm here now. I'm bringing him back, returning him. He saved me, it's only right I returned the favor. Equivalent Exchange.

I think I finally understand.

**

* * *

**

(1)- I'm hoping that this matches Ed's character well enough. I tried to really capture his condescending anger that he had when he was younger and his feeling of invincibility.

**(2)- Endorphins are basically your bodies natural painkillers. They're ten times better than morphine in some cases. They can numb all pain to the point that you could have a broken leg and walk normally in the right conditions.**

**

* * *

**

A/N: This was basically a character-development practice writing thing for me. I also tried to apply some of the writing styles I learned in English class. Overall, I think it came over pretty well. It's one of the stories that you kinda have to delve into to glen every bit of information, I hope you enjoy it!

**FYI, I'm going to hold a writing contest soon, but it'll be slightly different than most and it won't be fanfiction writing mostly. It'll be more like an essay in which you use examples from whichever fandom you want to use. It'll be difficult to, just to warn some of you. If you want to be included, PM me and I'll add you!**

**Happy reading!  
****EdElricFan1001**


End file.
